A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

Imped. 3. Spiritual sloth, and carelessness of Spirit, when men do not trouble themselves about Religion, nor any thing that is serious. Love is a busy passion, a busy grace; love among the passions, is like Fire among the Elements; Love among the Graces, is like the Heart among the Members; now that which is most contrary to the nature of love, must needs most obstruct the highest actings of it; the truth is, a careless frame of Spirit, is fit for nothing; a sluggish, lazy, slothful, careless person never attains to any excellency in any kind; what is it you would intrust a lazy person about? let me say this, and pray think on't twice, ere you censure it once; Spiritual sloth doth Christians more mischief, than scandalous relapses. I grant their grosser falls may be worse as to others, the grieving of the Godly, and the hardening of the wicked, and the Reproach to Religion must needs be so great, as may make a gracious heart tremble at the thought of falling; but yet as to themselves a slothful temper is far more prejudicial, e. g. those gracious persons that fall into any open sin, 'tis but once, or seldom in their ⟨p. 15⟩whole life; and their repentance is ordinarily as notorious as their sin, and they walk more humbly, and more watchfully ever after; whereas Spiritual sloth runs through the whole course of our life, to the marring of every duty, to the strengthening of every sin, and to the weakening of every grace. Sloth (I may rather call it unspiritual sloth) is a soft moth in our spiritual wardrobe; a corroding rust in our spiritual Armoury; an enfeebling consumption in the very vitals of Religion. Sloth and carelessness without an Epithet, bare sloth without any thing to aggravate it, ordinarily doth the Soul more hurt, than all the Devils in hell, yea, than all its other sins. Shake off this, and then you will be more than Conquerors over all other difficulties; shake off this, and there is but one sin (that I can think of at present) that you'll be in danger of, and that's spiritual pride. You'll thrive so fast in all grace, you'll grow up into so much communion with God, that unless God sometimes withdraw to keep you humble, you will have a very Heaven upon Earth.

Imped. 3. Spiritual sloath, and carelessness of Spirit, when men do not trouble themselves about Religion, nor any thing that is serious. Love is a busie passion, a busie grace; love among the passions, is like Fire among the Elements; Love among the Graces, is like the Heart among the Members; now that which is most contrary to the nature of love, must needs most obstruct the highest actings of it; the truth is, a careless frame of Spirit, is fit for nothing; a sluggish, lazy, slothful, careless person never attains to any excellency in any kind; what is it you would intrust a lazy person about? let me say this, and pray think on't twice, e're you censure it once; Spiritual sloath doth Christians more mischief, than scandalous relapses. I grant their grosser falls may be worse as to others, the grieving of the Godly, and the hardning of the wicked, and the Reproach to Religion must needs be so great, as may make a gracious heart tremble at the thought of falling; but yet as to themselves a sloathful temper is far more prejudicial, e. g. those gracious persons that fall into any open sin, 'tis but once, or seldom in their